St. Paul police officers fatally shoot woman
Updated: May 8, 11:35 a.m.
St. Paul police officers fatally shot a woman Monday night at a home on the city’s east side.
It happened just after 7:15 p.m. at a home on the 1100 block of Rose Avenue East.
In a statement issued early Tuesday, police said officers were responding to a report that someone was trying to take their own life.
“When officers arrived, a person in the home yelled for them to come inside and they were directed to a room at the back of the home. Officers were speaking to an adult woman and trying to determine how to help her, when the woman produced a handgun and pointed it at officers. Officers fired their duty weapons, striking the woman,” the police account stated.
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The woman died at the scene. Her name has not been released.
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is handling the investigation, and confirmed Monday night that its investigators had responded to the scene.
St. Paul police said the officers were wearing body cameras that were activated at the time of the shooting.
The officers have been placed on standard administrative leave.
Mayor Melvin Carter issued a statement Tuesday offering “prayers and condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, our grieving community members, and every member of our Saint Paul Police Department as we mourn this loss. While many questions remain, the call our officers faced last night illustrates the dangerous and dynamic nature of the work they perform on our behalf.”
Carter said he will work with Police Chief Axel Henry to ensure a timely and transparent investigation. He said body camera footage will be released once preliminary witness statements are finished and after the family of the woman who died has a chance to view it.
Three St. Paul City Council members — HwaJeong Kim, Nelsie Yang and Cheniqua Johnson — also issued a statement Tuesday, offering prayers and support for the family of the woman who died and calling for the swift release of body camera footage “to support healing and continued transparency.”
“We continue to support expanding our community safety system to reduce interactions that put our residents and officers at risk of harm,” he council members wrote.
“We support existing initiatives like the mental health crisis response team and wraparound support for victims of violence in the Office of Neighborhood Safety. We remain committed to this work and to our community through this challenging and painful time.”